Remember Me: score made of memories, “every cue is a part of Nilin”

Although players may not realise it, they won’t actually hear Remember Me’s musical theme until the very end of the game, when protagonist Nilin pieces together the fractured memories reflected by the score.

“There are actually many themes for Nilin. Remember Me is a rich world and she is a complex character. She is a strong female character but at the same time she is really confused and lost as her memory was erased. What people may not get is that every music cue is a part of Nilin,” composer Olivier Derivere said in a fascinating interview with MTV Multiplayer.

“Actually, the whole score is a reconstruction around Nilin’s memory and it’s only during the last fight of the game that you can hear the full main theme. This was what Jean-Maxime Moris, the Creative Director, wanted the music to reflect.”

Derivere said the biggest challenge with the score was creating a sound that is a reflection of the gam’e soncept – “the digitization of an organic form which is electronically manipulated”.

“I remember talking with JMax about the concept and telling him that we should record a live symphony orchestra and manipulate electronically this recording to create a second layer,” he said.

“I also remember that I really didn’t know how I could do it. It took me quite a long time to figure out how to achieve this sound.”

A gamer himself, Derivere said he know how annoying it can be when music isn’t right.

“In Remember Me, fifty per cent of the game is fight sequences, so we wanted to create a system that will provide a fresh experience for gamers. For instance, the music system is linked to the player’s actions, so depending on how you will fight, the music will support your moves. It adds a sense of support and, of course, reward,” he said.